HEROIN IN OUR COMMUNITIES

On today's front page appears the first of a two-part series about a
growing heroin problem in McHenry County.

Although it might be difficult for some to believe, heroin is indeed
a problem in suburban, rural McHenry County. In 2008, heroin
accounted for 16 of 24 drug-related deaths. In 2004, there were two
heroin-related deaths, and in 2005, 2006 and 2007, there six such
deaths each year.

In 2006, more than 3.7 million Americans 12 or older reported using
heroin at least once. That year, heroin contributed to 190,000
emergency room visits.

In our two-part series, we will attempt to get beyond some of those
statistics. It's easy to be dismissive of numbers. It's important
when writing about an issue such as this to put a human face on the
story.

Today appears the story of Cary resident Mary Noll, whose son, Justin,
died after using a combination of heroin and cocaine: "Justin was a
great kid," Noll said. "He was the type, you couldn't be mad at him.
. It's just unfortunate he chose a path that was not healthy."

The consequences of substance abuse are severe. Too often we, as a
society, can be dismissive of such deaths. We figure that the person
made poor choices and paid the price. It's not as though someone
murdered them. We also can be quick to judge - the parents must not
have done their job, he was a bad child, etc. There should be no place
in society for such callousness.

Noll's story should serve as a warning to any parent - this could
happen to you and your children.

By sharing her story and that of her son, Noll has showed a tremendous
amount of courage. And maybe by sharing it she will help another
family facing the same issues.

On Monday, the series will continue with a look at the many negative
effects that heroin is having on our communities and how local
authorities are attempting to deal with the problem.

Our hope is that this series will help raise awareness of a problem
that is not talked about often enough. The series will include
information to prevent and treat drug abuse. When a family is dealing
with drug addiction, it often can seem like a helpless, hopeless
situation devoid of options.

But, there is help available through the McHenry County Crisis Line at
1-800-892-8900 or by visiting www.mchenry-crisis.org.